The vast majority of bosses are relatively easy to deal with. However, every once in a while one will come along with an ego bigger than London and an attitude to match. But don’t get your knickers in a twist. If you find yourself in a similar situation, just use these simple strategies to deal with a difficult boss.

Don’t Confront, Discuss

When criticised by your boss, it’s easy to go into attack mode. But confrontation only adds fuel to the fire and when you’re in a work environment, you need to learn how to control your emotions.

Things you can do:

• Discuss how you can approach things differently in the future — even ask your boss for their advice.
• Always keep your professional face on. Know the difference between not getting along with your boss and not being professional.
• Don’t react to verbal abuse. Instead acknowledge it and move on. By keeping calm and carrying on, they have no reason to lash back at you without looking like an intimidator.

Put Yourself in Their Shoes

You may not want to hear this but your boss might have issues of his or her own. Your boss could be getting pressure from his or her own boss or their situation at home could be rough.

Things you can do:

• Stay positive even when they’re not. You might be sharing some of the responsibility for the bad relationship and could improve it by losing the attitude.
• Your boss may be unaware that his or her behavior is impacting you so negatively. Try having a mature conversation with them before jumping to any conclusions.
• We all need someone to blame when things aren’t going swimmingly in our lives, so ask coworkers if they’re experiencing similar issues — it could just be you.

What Doesn’t Hurt You, Makes You Stronger

No one said that the working world is all peaches and cream. But dealing with a difficult boss can prepare you for a job mentally just as hands-on training prepares you physically.

What you can do:

• Accept that you can’t change people and don’t expect to.
• It’s not likely that your difficult situation will change overnight, so be prepared for the long haul. Use your time there to learn all you can until you’ve built up skills to be transferred somewhere else.
• Always take the high road. Follow procedures and don’t give into urges to quit or lash out. Dealing with difficult people and situations can only help you in any field.

Prepare

There is a lot of room for movement in many fields so make the most of your time working under your boss.

Things you can do:

• Forge alliances — if there’s another department that you’re interested in, get to know their key players.
• Collect references and recommendation letters from clients, peers and other employees.
• Document your progress so that you’ll gain credibility if another job opportunity presents itself.

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Poundy

Old-fashioned in nature but sophisticated in thinking, Poundy is happy to offer his words of wisdom to anybody interested in Pounds to Pocket — behind the shapely moustache lies an abundance of knowledge.

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